THE Bougainville Education Department, in its effort to make schools have their own Behavioral Management Policy (SBMP), has undertaken the task of training teachers to document their own policies.

The Department has already given Training of Trainers (TOT) to elementary and primary school head teachers, their board of management chairman’s and village chiefs of Selau and Suir constituencies in North Bougainville.

The policy is to act as a guideline to promote a caring, safe and healthy environment for the purpose of improving students learning inside the school and within the community.

Last week saw another TOT training being conducted at Tekokni primary school in Suir which was attended by 43 participants from the area.

Mrs Passingan said the purpose of involving the chiefs, BOM and teachers is because there is a need for wider consultation to document the SBMP.

Acting Secretary of Bougainville Education Department, Mr Michael Meten, who attended the closing of the workshop last Thursday said the same problems that a child has in school is also being faced in the community.

“With the increase in number of students because of the tuition fee free education by the O’Neill/Dion Government, teachers now have a big responsibility to deal with,’ he said.

“Family problems also affects the child and teachers and the BOM must need to deal with that particular child and they must also deal with bullying, alcohol, smoking and chewing of betelnut in bigger students.’’

Mr Meten pointed out that every school needs to develop a policy to guide behavior in school and to help create a conducive environment for students, before adding that the policy will now be part of the Schools Learning Improvement (SLIP).

This week will see the participants from these two constituencies imparting on the training to their counterpart teachers during their in-service week and after that they must complete their documentation of the SBMP for launching on October this year.